Golden Eyes
by The Vampire Alchemist
Summary: 6 years ago,Edward Elric went missing. 20 year old Alphonse who has gotten his body back is asked by General Mustang to capture a supposed 'murderer'. But this man is more than meets the eye, and might have something to do with Edward's disappearance.
1. Chapter 1

Golden Eyes

Golden Eyes

Edward Elric ran down the dark street as fast as his legs could carry him, gasping for breath. The cobblestones dug into the soles of his shoes, making his right foot ache. Every shadow looked suspicious, every swish of cloth untrustworthy. He swore that he could hear his ice-cold laugh ringing in his ears, see his manic grin. He knew that he was behind him.

The haunting, frozen laugh graced the air. Edward looked behind, and saw his long, oily black hair flying about in the air as he chased him. He was gaining on him.

"Don't kid yourself, o-chibisan! You'll never loose me! Your footsteps tell me where you are!"

Step clunk step clunk step clunk. The sound of metal reverberated off of the cobblestones every time Edward's left foot made contact with them. Still, he ran on. But he didn't know for how much longer that he could. He had his limits. His attacker had none. He was rapidly growing weary, and his automail limbs were only slowing him down more.

Desperately, he veered left, running into an alleyway. He quickly toppled over a few crates, hoping that it would slow his pursuer down, but he just jumped over them with inhuman speed.

Edward and Alphonse had been conducting their own 'investigation' of Lab 5, and had found more than they'd bargained for. Barry the Chopper's soul had been bound to a suit of armor, just like Alphonse, and then those two brothers that Edward had encountered. Then, there had been chimeras, Scar, and Shou Tucker, who was reported dead 4 years ago. And the Homunculi. Edward had never been so happy to see Scar as he was then. Before the Homunculi could force him to do anything, Scar had intervened, distracting two Homunculi so that Ed could drag what was left of his brother out of the lab. But he hadn't even taken one step out of the door before the third Homunculus had attacked them. As Edward and the homunculus had dueled, it became obviously clear that the latter had the upper hand. Alphonse had told Edward to not worry about him and run, and this time, Ed listened to him. But not before promising that he'd come back for him.

Edward now felt like a coward for leaving his little brother behind. But there was nothing that he could do about it now. He had to keep running. Just keep running, he told himself. Just keep running. Suddenly, he noticed the wall that he was heading straight at. The end of alley. Dead end. He was trapped.

He came to a grinding halt just short of making a head-long contact with the wall. He heard the Homunculus' icy laugh behind him, and spun around. His hair rippled behind him, having come out of its braid long before he'd even left Lab 5. Sweat beaded down his forehead, making his hair cling to his face.

"You've got nowhere else to go, chibisan." said the Homunculus, his manic grin widening.

Edward's eyes widened as his attacker's arm turned into that of a spear, sort of like his automail hand/blade. Before he could defend himself, the homunculus attacked.

Blood-curdling screams could be heard all throughout Central as the homunculus viciously slashed at every part of Edward's body. All while this happened, fleeting memories of Barry the Chopper flashed through Ed's mind, causing him to panic more and more.

The homunculus kicked Edward against the wall, and Ed's head made contact with it hard.

Ed's vision started to tunnel, and he couldn't exactly remember why he'd been running, or where he was. As consciousness seeped away from him, so did his memory. The last thing he saw was a hooded man wearing a black robe pulling Envy off of him and shooting the homunculus through the head. Then his world turned black.

--

It was a painful three weeks later that Alphonse, with the help of Winry and several alchemists, finally was put back together. It was three painful weeks since Lab 5. It was two painful weeks since Edward's 16th birthday had come and gone. It was three painful weeks since Edward had disappeared.

But today was the most painful of all. Although no body was ever found, several people, civilian and military alike had confirmed the same thing:

Edward Elric was dead.

Alphonse had no brother anymore.

--

_Okay, PLEASE don't be mad with me! I swear that I will get my other stories updated as soon as possible. _

_The idea for this story came to me while watching a certain movie. A virtual cookie to anyone who can figure out which. It shouldn't be all that difficult. If it is, I will be amazed._


	2. Chapter 2

_Okay, it occurred to me that while reading the reviews I have so far that maybe the connection with this certain movie is clear to me because I'M the one writing the story. So, I'm not amazed. A virtual cookie to Skitty Kat Girl for trying! She guessed Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace and The Matrix. Both are wrong, but both are good guesses. However, I feel that the connection will become VERY clear in this chapter._

_Disclaimer: I don't own either of these; FMA or this movie-that-I'm-not-going-to-give-away-just-yet-because-I'm-evil-like-that. _

Chapter 1

6 Years Later

Alphonse Elric snapped into consciousness. _Brother!_ He looked around the dark room frantically. Where was Edward? _Where was Edward??_ He searched the dark room frantically; it had all seemed so real! Envy chasing after his brother, attacking Edward, and the mysterious man rescuing the blonde alchemist. _Where was Edward??_

You dolt, said a voice at the back of his head. Edward's been missing for 6 years.

Alphonse had mourned his brother for months after he had been reported dead, until his father, Hohenheim had shown up. He had so clearly pointed out to his that a body had never been found, and so there was still hope that Edward was alive somewhere. So, Al started thinking of Edward as missing, not dead. As the years passed, he never gave up hope, but some part of it was starting to fade. After all, it had been 6 years, and still no one had ever found any remains of Edward Elric; slapping a discontinued label on his file. But Al never gave up searching, hoping that Edward was alive.

Al didn't remember much about it, but somehow, with his father's help, he'd gotten his body back without the use of the Philosopher's Stone. He was grateful to his father, but he always wished that it had been his brother who had done the deed, as Edward had promised he would.

So here he was; 20 years old, living in Central with his father, searching for his brother while also doing some civilian service to the military. Every now and then, Mustang, who had been promoted to General, asked him to investigate something or another, and he'd do it without payment, which they wanted him to take.

There was a soft rap on the door, and Hohenheim walked in.

"Alphonse, Lt. Havoc is here; he says General Mustang has a new assignment for you."

--

"You wished to see me, General?"

A bittersweet smile found its way on Mustang's face. Alphonse was always much more polite than Edward had ever been. Edward had always said _You wanted to see me, Colonel_ but somehow, it always sounded like _what do you want?!_

"Yes, Alphonse. Come in." Alphonse quickly seated himself in one of the cushioned chairs.

"We need your help. There's a murderer on the loose, and we need you to bring him back to Central alive."

He handed Alphonse a manila folder. "We know of at least 19 men, 14 women, and 3 children dead, but our question is if they were all killed by him, or is there another killer on a killing spree."

"So you want me to bring him back for questioning."

"Correct."

"General, do we know this murderer's name?"

--

**East City**

"Forgive me Father, for I have--"

"Sinned. Yes, you're very good at that, Van Helsing(1)."

Golden eyes rolled. Van Helsing moved a bit of his blonde hair away from his face.

"I was only doing as the Council ordered."

"The Council ordered you to bring Dr. Jekyll back alive, not to kill him and destroy the church's 13th century stain glass window in the process!"

"It was 'Mr. Hyde' who destroyed it, not me."

It was 6 years since Cornello(2) had found the young man with a leg and arm made of automail in that alleyway, being attacked by one of those abominations. He had saved the boy from that homunculus and had brought him back to the Council of Shadows. The Council posed as a religious cult, but was infact, a group of protectors; the real reason that Amestris was safe. Let the military believe that they were keeping this country safe. If it weren't for the Council of Shadows, Amestris would have fallen long ago. And, as their name suggested, the military had no idea this Council even existed. No one did, unless you were part of it.

As soon as the boy had regained consciousness, the Council had asked everything about him. Who he was. What he knew. Where he came from.

All that the blonde-haired, golden-eyed teenager had remembered about himself was his age: 15 at that time. He had no memory of who he was or where he had came from. So, Cornello had suggested an idea, which the Council had taken quite a fancy to: train the boy as one of their agents; one of their field-men. As he didn't remember his name, the Council had dubbed him Van Helsing.

So here he was 6 years later: 21, his long blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, wearing a black leather vest over his black tunic with silver buckles all over it, black leather trousers, a black leather trenchcoat, black gloves, and a deep purple scarf 'round his neck. He held a black fedora hat in his hands.

Van Helsing's golden eyes bored into Cornello's grey ones as they sat in the 'confessional'. If anyone had saw him right then, they would've believed him to be harmless. But Cornello knew better. He knew that pistols and knives galore were hidden on his person.

"Your methods are unorthodox; they draw too much attention." Cornello lectured.

"Do you think I like being the most wanted man in all of Amestris?? Do you think I like being blamed for murdering these men and then getting blamed for the people they murdered??" Van Helsing calmly asked, placing his hat back on his head, and making to leave the 'confessional'. Cornello quickly pressed a button, which made a metal grate slam shut before Van Helsing could leave. Cornello pressed another button, and the wall behind them rose, revealing a secret passage to a basement level. With a long-suffering sigh, Van Helsing followed Cornello down the passage, revealing hundreds of 'monks' forging swords, testing new guns, and researching chemical and alchemical reactions.

"The Council has a new assignment for you."

Van Helsing sighed again, feeling that this was somewhat familiar; that Cornello reminded him of another man with obsidian eyes.

"There are several creatures that are coming at large once again. The Council thought they had dispatched of them 6 years ago, but there have been sightings of them in Drachma: Homunculi. The same type of creature that was attacking you when I found you.

To start where the first one was created, we have to go back almost 700 years. There was a man and a woman. Dante and her lover, Hohenheim of Light."

"Hohenheim?" Cornello saw a spark of recognition in Van Helsing's eyes.

"The name means something to you?"

"I…I…I don't know."

"They had a son, though what his name was is uncertain. But this son tragically died at a young age. And so, in desperation, Hohenheim tried to bring him back, using alchemy.

He did not succeed.

What he created instead was a monster. The very first Homunculus. A Sin.

Shortly afterward, he abandoned the monster his son had become, leave Dante also behind. What happened to him then, we do not know.

A homunculus is created when an alchemist tries to bring someone back from the dead. They are fed a sufficient amount of red stones to survive, and each takes on a unique power. Shape-shifting, ultimate shielding, extended talons, etc. They each are named after the Seven Deadly Sins: Lust, Gluttony, Envy, Greed, Wrath, Sloth, and Pride.

But we know for a fact that they are planning something; something like the genocide of an entire culture of people; like with Ishbal.

"Your mission is to bring back at least one alive, for questioning. Take Carl with you."

"Why?"

"You'll be needing an alchemist on your journey.(3)"

--

"Come on, just a little faster!" called a red headed man.

"Carl!"

The red headed man smiled. "Ah, Van Helsing. Did you bring back Dr. Jekyll, or…oh, wait; you killed him didn't you?" Carl sneered. "That's why they always get so upset. Oh, you're in one of your moods. You'll be needing supplies for another mission, then?" Carl was Van Helsing's superior in years, being at the ripe old age of 34, but it always seemed the other way around. Van Helsing was a born leader; having taken control of his family 5 minutes after birth (but of course he didn't remember this.) If Carl had his own museum, he'd get lost in it, and that was a known fact.

Van Helsing nodded. "I'll also need your expertise on this mission. You're coming with me."

"The hell I am! I'm not going to that damned country. Alchemists aren't very welcomed there."

The golden eyed young man stared, shocked. "You swore." He said. "Not very well, mind you, but you're a monk; you shouldn't curse."

"Actually, I'm just a 'friar' I can curse all I want." Carl grinned smugly as he packed a duffel with supplies. "Dammit." He said, as if to rub it in his face.

"I need an alchemist." Van Helsing stated simply. He took a large shot gun in his hand, handed the duffel to Carl, and headed for the door.

"B-B-But, Van Helsing! I don't want to go to Drachma!"

"Tough." Van Helsing smiled a positively evil grin. Step clunk step clunk step clunk.

--

_(1) Yup, I was watching Van Helsing when the idea popped into my head. So, it's kind of going to be a loose x-over with VH. _

_(2) This is not the same Cornello at the beginning of FMA. I just liked the dude's name. _

_(3) Van Helsing doesn't remember that he's Edward, so he doesn't remember how to perform alchemy. _

_Also, on another note, I loved David Wenham's character (Carl) in Van Helsing, so decided to put him in. There were A LOT of references to the movie, so I take no credit for those. I love it when Van Helsing tells Carl that he's coming with him, and Carl's all like "But Van Helsing, I don't want to go to Transylvania!"_

_I am NOT updating again until I get more reviews. So, review review review!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Wow! This is quickly becoming my most successful story and I only have 2 chappies!! :O 14 reviews already?! OO I love you guyz!! :3 None of my fellow Star Wars nerds have ever been this responsive to my SW fics._

_So, it took a little longer to write this chapter because I've kinda forgotten a bit of VH. /runs off to watch Van Helsing/ I also extended the last chapter; I was tired when I wrote it, so it isn't exactly the best I could do. _

_Also, I give a virtual cookie to Tsuki Yarishi since they really wanted it. _

_Disclaimer: I have tried owning Edo-kun, and he just about transmuted me into a toaster oven, and if I tried to own Van Helsing, I'm pretty sure I'd meet his trusty crossbow that I think is suppost to be an 1888 machine gun. Also, he doesn't seem to like Vampires, which I clearly am. /hissing/_

**Chapter 2**

**Recognition**

It took quite a bit of time to actually get to Drachma, as the only transportation either of them could take was by train. Even then, Carl had to adjust himself to Van Helsing's routine of riding in the cargo hold. There were always military men riding these trains, and clearly, Van Helsing couldn't be caught.

It was also a firm belief of Carl's that Van Helsing had never even picked up a book in his life. So he was quite surprised when he found him reading an advanced alchemy text.

"Alchemy?" Carl questioned. Van Helsing nodded, never taking his eyes off the page he was reading.

"I find it all fascinating. I've never really had time to practice it though, with the damn Council sending me off on missions even in my spare time. Oh, silly me; what spare time?"

They sat in silence for a few more minutes, before Carl asked,

"What do you remember?"

"Not now, Carl." Van Helsing said as he turned the page.

"You must remember something of your past."

Van Helsing paused, before saying, "I remember a dark room, the air thick with smoke, and a living corpse that had skin thinly stretched across its body, its organs showing, its heart trying to beat; gurgling on its own blood as it tried to breathe."

"T-that's...horrible!"

"You asked."

--

_Van Helsing_.

That name played again and again in Alphonse's mind. It was an interesting name, to say the least. It somewhat reminded Al of his father's name; Van Hohenheim. It wasn't every day you heard names like Van Hohenheim and Van Helsing. This guy was going to stick out like a sore thumb.

As he stepped off of the train and into the cold Drachman train station, he pulled his parka tighter around himself. He searched the crowd for anyone who either looked suspicious, or like they knew something. Too quickly, he spotted a monk and a masked, black clothed man wearing a fedora low over his eyes. The monk looked anxious, while the man in black looked too calm. Both were rather short.

Quickly, he ran to the two of them and placed his hand on the black-clothed man's shoulder. It felt like metal.

"Excuse me, sirs."

Both of them turned to face him, though the man with the fedora kept his face low.

"I'm looking for the murderer Van Helsing. Do either of you have any idea where he might be?"

"Uh…" the monk faltered.

"Van Helsing?" the other man said. "I heard he was here a few days ago, but left for Xing."

Alphonse looked at the two of them, perfectly sure that they were lying.

"Really? I was told that he was on a train heading for Drachma."

"Well, obviously one of us was misinformed."

The man tipped his hat slightly, then turned to leave. Alphonse grabbed his shoulder again.

"Let me see your face."

"Why should I?"

"Because I don't trust men who hide their faces."

"And I don't trust military dogs who ask me annoying and unnecessary questions."

He could see the man's hand starting to itch towards something.

"I may be a civilian, but as I am under the employment of the military, I have the right to arrest you if you don't do as I ask, sir."

The man's hand moved further to what Alphonse was sure was a weapon.

"You can try." He had just given himself away.

"Van Helsing, you're wanted for the murder of 19 men, 14 women--"

"And you might want to duck."

Van Helsing pulled out a shotgun and aimed it slightly above Al's head. Al ducked and heard a shot rig through the air.

"Homunculi!" someone screamed. Everyone started to run out of the station, except for the three males.

--

Van Helsing shot at the homunculi, but no matter what he did, it never seemed to affect them.

"Carl, it's not working!"

"Try aiming at their hearts!" the 'monk' called as he threw the gunman a new pack of ammo.

Quickly reloading his gun, he did as Carl instructed, but the homunculi were too fast. There was a woman with curly, flowing black hair wearing a rather revealing dress. He guessed that she was Lust. There was a fat tubby one, more than likely Gluttony, and a small boy with slowing black hair and mismatched limbs. The fat one soon ran for Alphonse, but the boy quickly drew an array and activated it, binding the fat homunculus in thick vines.

As Van Helsing shot at the female, the child-like homunculus grabbed him by the ankles and pulled him down, which sent his gun and his hat flying through the air. The child quickly pinned Van Helsing down and smugly pulled the scarf from his face. He looked momentarily shocked, but then smiled maliciously.

"Well, well, well," he drawled. "Lookie who we have here."

Van Helsing got his right arm loose and socked the boy in the gut, sending him soaring. He got to his feet and when the boy looked up at him, he pretended to tip his hat.

"Van Helsing. And I'm guessing you must be Wrath."

The homunculus looked skeptical. "You're Van Helsing? A shrimp like you?"

A vein popped in Van Helsing's forehead. Growling, he rolled on the ground, picked up his shotgun, and began shooting at the homunculus. The acrid smell of gunpowder filled his nostrils, as he screamed,

_**"WHOTHEHELLAREYOUCALLINGASHRIMPWHO'SSOTINYTHATHE'DBECRUSHEDBYASEED??HUH??WHODIDYOUSAYWASSOSMALLTHATTHEWORLD'SMOSTPOWERFULMICROSCOPECOULDN'TEVENFINDHIMWITHIT'SMOSTPOWERFULLENS?!"**_

(Ed-English/English-Ed translation: Who the hell are you calling a shrimp so tiny that he'd be crushed by a seed?? Huh?? Who did you say was so small that the world's most powerful microscope couldn't even find him with its most powerful lens?!)

--

Alphonse was quickly binding the female in a giant stone hand when at the same moment, Van Helsing started to scream at Wrath.

_No_, he thought, _it can't be!_

He turned to the veritable hurricane formerly known as Van Helsing and his eyes widened in complete and utter shock.

_Brother?!_

He saw the sun-colored hair flying about violently through the air, threatening to come loose from its ponytail. He saw the familiar tawny golden eyes flashing dangerously with as much fire in them as he remembered.

_Of course! I'm such an idiot! Why didn't I recognize him earlier? His automail arm, his voice, his height… _

He heard a grinding sound behind him, and saw that Gluttony had chomped through Lust's stone prison.

"Wrath!" she called. "Stop your teasing! The master is expecting us back!"

And with that, the Homunculi vanished just as suddenly as they'd come.

"Don't worry," the monk said, misinterpreting Alphonse's expression. "He does that every time someone calls him small. He's got napoleon complex, if you catch my meaning."

"Have you always been this reckless?" the monk asked the other young man.

"For as long as I can remember."

"But that's only six years. Did you get your memory back, or do you still have amnesia?"

What?! Alphonse wanted to scream, but his voice didn't seem to cooperate.

"Really?" Van Helsing said, sardonically, "I have amnesia? I had _no idea_ Carl. Thank you for stating the obvious." He picked his hat up and brushed the dirt off it.

"I was only asking a simple question."

"V-Van…amnes…amnesia??..." Alphonse stuttered.

The tawny eyed young man sighed, placed his hat back on his head, and pulled out a bottle. He pulled the scarf back up to his face.

"I'm sorry."

Van Helsing sprayed the substance in his face, and Al's world went black.

--

_So, did you like this chapter? Yes, Alphonse found his brother at last, but I'm not going to let Edo-kun remember until much later in the story!_

_Ed: You're evil!_

_Me: what was your first clue? /cackles evilly/_

_Again, I'm not updating again until I get more reviews. They are an authors best friend, and I like to know how people are liking my story. _


	4. Chapter 4

_Wow……34 reviews! I've never gotten this many before! I feel really honored that so many people like my story. I'd like to thank everyone who reviewed, and I'd like to say to mrawgirl09 that I miss you too and that I'm really sorry I made you wait this long for an update! _

_I hit one of those traditional 'rough spots'. I really wish that I knew VH by heart so that I wouldn't have to scamper off to watch it every time I write a new chapter. Also, we moved into a new apartment because my cousin moved in with us. AND…School started. And wouldn't you know it; so did the Christmas season! As much as I love Christmas, it really is over-rated. Anyway, my school year has been pretty eventful, so I never had a lot of time to write on this story. I'M SORRY!!! Hopefully, I'll have more time during the summer, but then again, my parents have been bugging me to get a summer job…we'll just have to wait and see and I really need to stop ranting now! _

_Disclaimer: So, guys, do I own either of you?_

_Edward: You are utterly absurd. (Twilight rip-off? Hoo-yeah! Btw, did anyone else think that that movie could have been much, __**much**__ better?)_

_Van Helsing: I think not. _

CHAPTER 3

Interrogation

"Envy, why must you mope around like that?"

The green haired homunculus, in all his plant like glory, lethargically glanced at the woman who looked too much like the Elric's mother.

"There's nothing to do here."

"So you kill innocents for fun?"

"Fun? Sloth, I haven't had fun since the Fullmetal pipsqueak died."

At that moment, Lust, Gluttony, and Wrath came back from the attack at the train station. The three of them looked extremely dusty, and several bullet holes in them were healing themselves.

"I wouldn't say that he's dead, Envy"

"What are you talking about, Lust?" Envy growled. "Of course he's dead! I killed him myself!"

"Well, apparently you didn't do a very good job of it."

"What are you saying?" Asked Sloth.

"Wrath, why don't you tell Sloth and Envy who you saw at the train station?"

Wrath smiled viciously. "Master was right; Van Helsing is in town. More than likely come to 'take care' of us. But I saw exactly what he looks like."

"…Yeah; and your point?" Envy said.

"Van Helsing is none other than the one and only Fullmetal Alchemist; Edward Elric."

--

Oh god, his head _hurt._ Just what had happened to him? He groaned. Oh yeah, NOW he remembered.

"So you're finally awake."

Alphonse's heart jumped. There it was again. That voice, _his voice._ That voice that he could never forget.

His brother.

He tried to open his eyes fast as he could, but they refused to move quickly. He finally opened them, and glanced lethargically to the right.

His brother sat near-by, polishing the shot-gun he'd been using earlier in the square. He was using the scarf he had been wearing, and the black fedora hat was propped up on his knee. He looked rather bored.

The monk he'd seen earlier was there too. His head-full of scraggly red hair that grew every which way-was bowed down low, leaning over a map of Drachma. In his hands was what appeared to be a travel log, which he was scribbling in furiously. He was probably recording the earlier events. Every now and then, he paused and started scratching at the reddish stubble on his chin before he continued to write.

Their surroundings were less than familiar to Al, though. He couldn't figure out where he was; it wasn't a very big place. It seemed to be a small, musty room with no furniture, save for the small cot he was currently laying on. A single light bulb hung from the ceiling and water was dripping from a hole somewhere up there.

"What happened to me?" Al wondered out loud.

Ed held up the small bottle he'd sprayed in Al's face earlier.

"Chloroform."

He put the bottle down, finished cleaning his shot-gun, then cocked it. Al's eyes widened at the sound of the small click. His brother wouldn't actually shoot him…would he? He did recognize Al, didn't he?

_"Really? I have amnesia? I had __no idea__." _

The conversation between Edward and the monk came back to him. If it was true…if Ed really did have amnesia…it was quite possible that he _would_ shoot him, as-more than likely-he _didn't_ recognize Al.

"So," Edward drawled as he stood up, placing his hat on the floor. "This is the part where you tell us who you are and what you're doing here." (1)

"Van Helsing, put the gun away." The monk said, tiredly. "There's no need to scare the poor lad."

"Carl, obviously, you don't get the idea of an interrogation. Let me put it simply for you: you wave a gun in their face, and they _talk._"

"Imagine that." said Carl flatly.

_Van Helsing. _

That monk, Carl, had called Edward _Van Helsing. _Again. He had called him that in the train station before, but…

Alphonse refused to believe it. It couldn't be. It couldn't! His brother, _his brother,_ a cold-hearted murderer? Oh, sure, Ed had killed Majahal all those years ago, but that had been out of self-defense; The little girl Claus would've died if Ed hadn't done that. Al couldn't believe-no, _refused_ to believe that Van Helsing, the most wanted man in Amestris, and Edward Elric were one and the same.

He felt a hand—a cold, metal, automail hand—grab his chin and turn his head to face its owner.

Golden eyes. Golden eyes that he remembered so well. Golden eyes that would burn their way into your very soul. A color that was so unusual that there was no way you could ever forget those eyes; golden eyes.

Those eyes studied his face now; searched intently for something. And the more those eyes looked at him, the more they grew confused.

"…do I know you?" Edward asked.

--

_Sorry, not very long, I know. This is the best that I can do at the moment, but I might come back later and improve it. I mean, come on! It's four in the morning, folks! I gotta sleep! Besides, I bet that you people didn't know that Edward, Envy, Wrath, and Nekozawa live in my closet; that I have a shinigami under my bed along with Kadaj from FFVII: Advent Children; that Cloud lives at the foot of my bed, and that Colonel Mustang lives in my sock drawer! (I had to move him up there from my other drawer because he found a mini-skirt of mine and tried to make me wear it to school.) And they're all wanting Reeses PBC's. Not to mention that the shinigami keeps trying to eat my cat. Okay, I'm gonna stop ranting now!_

_(1) Yeah, I stole that from _Stardust

_Please review! If you don't…I might just tell Scar that you're all practicing forbidden alchemy in your basements! Lol, I wouldn't do that, really, but please review! _


	5. Chapter 5

_Hey everyone! Here's another chappie for you! Be glad that you didn't have to wait as long for this one. All the sudden, my muse is coming back to life! Ooo, Cadbury Eggs! /munching on CE's./ _

_Also, I've started watching the new FMA series Brotherhood. SO FREAKING EPIC! Anyway,_

_Hello. I'm a disclaimer thingy. My pathetic little existence is to tell you that The Vampire Alchemist does not own Fullmetal Alchemist or Van Helsing, however badly she may wish for ownership._

_**Update 7/30/10: Okay, I am really, REALLY sorry that I haven't updated in so long. This morning, I was re-reading through this story, and I discovered that I **__**hate**__** this chapter. I made Van Helsing kick back into Edward WAY too soon, so here, I have edited it for the Betterment of the Plot. **_

CHAPTER 4

Trust

"Are you sure it was a good idea to bring him, Van Helsing?" Carl asked.

Alphonse looked to Edward – _Van Helsing_ - who was grinning in that shark-like manner that he remembered so well. Countless men and women in Central and East City had come to know that that grin meant Destruction with a side of Human Wreckage. But Al knew that it didn't really mean that so much as a sense of mischief.

"Yeah, he won't run away." Van Helsing turned to Alphonse, and said, "Promise not to run away?"

Al sighed, exasperated. "I promise."

Van Helsing smiled back at the monk. "You see? He's curious." (1)

"He might run away when we're not looking and report back to the military."

"No, he won't."

"How do you know that about a boy who you just met hours ago as he tried to arrest you? We could've just gave him a wad of money and left him at the train station."

"Because, Carl, it's called Self-Preservation. If we left him at the train station, he definitely would've gone running back to Central, and you could've explained to Father Cornello why I all the sudden ended up in jail. This way, you wave a gun in their face and add just a hint of threat, and their own self preservation kicks in."

"Imagine that." Carl rubbed at his eyes, a migraine starting to form in his head from the day's events. "It's also called Reckless Behavior, and if he's really Alphonse Elric, and if he's telling the truth, then both of you have it in spades." Here, Carl turned to Al, "Now correct me if I'm wrong, Alphonse, but doesn't Elric Recklessness override self preservation?"

Alphonse sighed heavily. "Sad, but true." He said.

"And, how would _you_ know that, Carl?" Van Helsing snapped. "This is the first time you've ever been out of the abbey."

"I _read_, Van Helsing. I've read enough about the Fullmetal Alchemist, and I've been around you long enough to know that there's a distinct possibility that you and he are one and the same."

Looking at the scene before him, Alphonse felt that it was strangely reminiscent of Edward and Mustang's bickering, only this time, there weren't any erupting flames or flying rubble. Understandable, given their circumstance, but Carl proved to be a formidable opponent, wise in the ways of sarcasm and wits. At first glance, Al would've said that Carl wouldn't stand a chance against his brother, and it was possible that when they first met, the monk hadn't. Perhaps after 6 years, Carl developed immunity or had built up a verbal arsenal to match that of Ed's.

_"Do I know you?" Edward asked. "You look so familiar." _

_Alphonse didn't know what to do. If he told Ed that he, Alphonse, was his younger brother, he might not believe him and shoot him on the spot. On the other hand, it would probably help trigger Ed's memory, and then Al would be able to know what happened all those years ago._

_And so, Alphonse, ever the positive thinker, decided._

_"Yes. You do know me." _

_There was an awkward silence. _

_"Keep talking." Edward pushed, fingering the shotgun. _

_"You're my older brother." At least, that was what Al meant to say, but it came out more like, "Yougrhemolzerbhromlher." _

_Ed's face was clearly un-amused. Maybe he got cases like this on a regular basis. But now that Al had confirmed that they knew each other, he pressed on before he lost his nerve. _

_"I mean…um…you're…" Alphonse sighed, braced himself for whatever reaction that was coming, and said, _

_"You're my older brother." _

_There was an awkward silence again, before Edward cracked up. _

_"HA! That's a good one!" Alphonse had been rehearsing some speech for when Ed threatened him, or probably stood in shocked silence, but he hadn't been expecting this reaction._

_"Older brother…never heard that one before." He turned away from Al as his laughter died down. Anything that Al had prepared to say was thrown out the window when he blurted, _

_"No, it's the truth! Please, Ed! Believe me!" _

_The elder Elric froze, and turned back to Al. _

_"What did you just call me?" he asked, curiously. _

_"Ed. That's your name; Edward. I'm your younger brother, Alphonse, and I've been searching for you for 6 years." _

_The three men sat in silence. _

_"He might be telling the truth." The monk finally said. _

_"He __might.__" Edward growled. "Alright, _Alphonse_." He said, lowering the gun and leaning in towards Al's face. _

_"If you're really my brother, then answer me this: The only thing I can remember from my past is a dark room. There's smoke everywhere and in the middle of the room is a living corpse that's drowning in its own blood. What is it and when did this happen?" _

_Al's breath hitched. He knew exactly what Ed was talking about. What a horrible thing; to only remember the greatest sin they committed. _

_"Our mother, Trisha, died when I was 8 and you were 9. You're remembering the homunculus we created a year later, when we tried to bring mom back. You lost your arm and leg that night." _

_Edward's face remained un-readable – strange; Al had always been able to read him like a book - but Al could see him rubbing his automail fingers together; a thing he used to do when he was troubled. He apparently still did it. _

_The monk looked absolutely shocked. _

_"Human Transmutation?" he whispered. "That's impossible. No one can survive that." _

_He glared at the monk, but he apparently didn't intimidate him. Al could never pull off Ed's positively livid glare that could scare anyone, even Hughes, half to death._

_"Obviously, you can survive it, otherwise, Ed and I wouldn't be standing here in front of you, and the Fullmetal Alchemist never would've existed."_

_Silence reigned once again for several moments. Ed sighed, picking up his few belongings, re-tying his scarf around his neck and placing various weapons back into their proper places on his belt. _

"_Carl, pack up." He said shortly. "You," he turned to Al, hauling him to his feet. "Get your things together." _

"_Y-you're not gonna shoot me?" Al said, inwardly feeling relieved. "You believe me?" _

"_I'm cutting you a deal." Edward said, grinning that Ed-like grin that Al knew so well. "You come along with us; keep the military out of this, and I won't shoot you. If I feel like you're going to bolt for it or if I think you're going to sell us out, then you'd better watch your back." He hefted his gun on his shoulder as if for emphasis._

_Al gulped. He'd forgotten how menacing his brother could be, and he had to say, it was a force you didn't want working against you. "But you do believe me, don't you Ed?" _

"_Don't call me that." He snapped. Al flinched and Edward sighed, visibly calming himself down. "I don't know if I should believe you or not, so for now, don't call me Ed or Edward." _

_Al nodded hesitantly. "G-got it, Brother." _

"_Don't call me that, either!" _

Short, I know but hey, at least it's an improvement from what it used to be.

Review, my little pretties, review!


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